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    <title>ShellCheck: SC1066 – Don't use `$` on the left side of assignments.</title>
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    <h1>SC1066 – ShellCheck Wiki</h1>
    <a href="https://github.com/koalaman/shellcheck/wiki/SC1066">See this page on GitHub</a>
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    <h2 id="dont-use--on-the-left-side-of-assignments">Don't use
<code>$</code> on the left side of assignments.</h2>
<h3 id="problematic-code">Problematic code:</h3>
<div class="sourceCode" id="cb1"><pre class="sourceCode sh"><code class="sourceCode bash"><span id="cb1-1"><a href="SC1066.html#cb1-1" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"></a><span class="va">$greeting</span><span class="ex">=</span><span class="st">&quot;Hello World&quot;</span></span></code></pre></div>
<h3 id="correct-code">Correct code:</h3>
<div class="sourceCode" id="cb2"><pre class="sourceCode sh"><code class="sourceCode bash"><span id="cb2-1"><a href="SC1066.html#cb2-1" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"></a><span class="va">greeting</span><span class="op">=</span><span class="st">&quot;Hello World&quot;</span></span></code></pre></div>
<p>Alternatively, if the goal was to assign to a variable whose name is
in another variable (indirection), use <code>declare</code>:</p>
<div class="sourceCode" id="cb3"><pre class="sourceCode sh"><code class="sourceCode bash"><span id="cb3-1"><a href="SC1066.html#cb3-1" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"></a><span class="va">name</span><span class="op">=</span>foo</span>
<span id="cb3-2"><a href="SC1066.html#cb3-2" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"></a><span class="bu">declare</span> <span class="st">&quot;</span><span class="va">$name</span><span class="st">=hello world&quot;</span></span>
<span id="cb3-3"><a href="SC1066.html#cb3-3" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"></a><span class="bu">echo</span> <span class="st">&quot;</span><span class="va">$foo</span><span class="st">&quot;</span></span></code></pre></div>
<p>Or if you actually wanted to compare the value, use a test
expression:</p>
<div class="sourceCode" id="cb4"><pre class="sourceCode sh"><code class="sourceCode bash"><span id="cb4-1"><a href="SC1066.html#cb4-1" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"></a><span class="cf">if</span> <span class="bu">[</span> <span class="st">&quot;</span><span class="va">$greeting</span><span class="st">&quot;</span> <span class="ot">=</span> <span class="st">&quot;hello world&quot;</span> <span class="bu">]</span></span>
<span id="cb4-2"><a href="SC1066.html#cb4-2" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"></a><span class="cf">then</span></span>
<span id="cb4-3"><a href="SC1066.html#cb4-3" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"></a>  <span class="bu">echo</span> <span class="st">&quot;Programmer, I presume?&quot;</span></span>
<span id="cb4-4"><a href="SC1066.html#cb4-4" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"></a><span class="cf">fi</span></span></code></pre></div>
<h3 id="rationale">Rationale:</h3>
<p>Unlike Perl or PHP, <code>$</code> is not used when assigning to a
variable.</p>
<h3 id="exceptions">Exceptions</h3>
<p>None.</p>
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